Complaints & Concerns Procedure | South Downs Therapy Collective

Complaints and Concerns Procedure

If something does not feel right

We want people to be able to tell us when something has felt uncomfortable, disappointing, unfair or unsafe. You do not need to use formal language, prove what happened before we listen, or decide whether what you are bringing is feedback, a concern or a complaint. Tell us what you would like us to understand, in whatever way you can.

Sometimes a concern can be understood and repaired through an honest conversation. Sometimes it needs a more careful review. We will not assume in advance which of these is true, and we will not ask you to take part in a conversation that does not feel right for you.

The essentials

Speak with your therapist if you wish. You do not have to do this before contacting SDTC.

Acknowledgement. We normally acknowledge concerns within five working days.

Response. We aim to provide a written response within 20 working days.

Time limits. There is no rigid deadline for raising a concern.

Who can use this procedure?

This procedure can be used by current or former clients, people who have contacted SDTC about therapy, therapists, trainees, applicants, or anyone else directly affected by work carried out through the Collective.

You may also contact us while supporting someone else. We may need that person’s agreement before we can access or discuss information about their therapy, but we can still listen to what you tell us and consider whether SDTC has something it needs to do.

Anonymous concerns are welcome. We will consider whatever information is available, although it may be harder to understand what happened, ask further questions or explain the outcome if we do not know who has contacted us.

What can you raise?

You can contact us about any part of your experience of SDTC, including:

Your therapy. Your experience of therapy or of a therapist working through South Downs Therapy Collective.

Professional conduct. Something said or done that felt harmful, disrespectful, discriminatory, unclear or outside appropriate professional boundaries.

Your journey through the service. The way an enquiry, therapist match, ending, transfer or interruption in therapy was handled.

Practical matters. Communication, accessibility, payments, cancellations, refunds or other administrative issues.

Privacy and information. Confidentiality, privacy, records or the way information has been shared.

The low-cost service. The low-cost service, a trainee placement or the support surrounding a trainee therapist.

Previous concerns. The way an earlier concern was received or responded to.

Therapy can include challenge, uncertainty and strong feelings. A difficult experience does not automatically mean that someone has acted wrongly, but it still deserves to be heard and understood. Equally, describing something as "part of therapy" should never be used to dismiss a genuine concern.

How to raise something

With your therapist: If it feels possible and potentially helpful, you may speak with your therapist directly. Some concerns can be explored and repaired within the therapeutic relationship.

With SDTC: You may contact the Collective instead, either immediately or after speaking with your therapist. You will not be criticised or disadvantaged for choosing this route.

Email: complaints@southdownstherapycollective.co.uk

If writing is difficult, you can use the email address to ask for a telephone or in-person conversation. We can also discuss reasonable adjustments or another accessible way for you to communicate with us.

It can help to tell us what happened, roughly when it happened, who was involved, how it affected you and what you hope might help now. You do not have to provide all of this before we respond.

What happens after you contact us?

1. We listen and acknowledge. We will normally acknowledge your message within five working days. We may ask what you need from us immediately and how you would prefer us to communicate with you.

2. We consider any immediate needs. If there is a concern about safety, confidentiality or the continuation of therapy, we will address what cannot safely wait before considering the wider complaint.

3. We decide who should hold the response. Sam Driscoll, Collective Lead, will normally coordinate the process. Mia Hughes-Smith, Clinical Lead, will take a leading role where clinical practice is central. If the concern is about either of them, the other will hold it. If both are involved or there is another significant conflict, SDTC will seek an experienced independent therapist to help hold the matter.

4. We seek to understand what happened. We may ask you further questions and speak with the therapist or other person involved. They will normally be given enough information to understand the concern and respond. We will look at relevant records where this is necessary and proportionate.

5. We consider whether conversation could help. If you want this, we may offer a conversation with your therapist or a supported conversation involving you both. This is always optional. Any internal professional review is separate: clients and family members are not expected to attend SDTC’s internal decision-making meetings.

6. We respond. We will aim to provide a written response within 20 working days. It will explain what we have understood, what we can and cannot establish, and what we propose to do. If the concern needs longer, we will explain why and agree when you can expect a further update.

How we will approach the concern

We will try to begin with curiosity rather than defensiveness. We will distinguish what is known from what remains uncertain, listen to the different perspectives involved, consider the effect on the people concerned, and ask what responsibility, repair or learning may be needed.

The therapist remains professionally responsible for their own clinical work. SDTC is responsible for the parts of the service it holds, including enquiries, matching, payments, complaints, continuity and collective-level records. Where these responsibilities overlap, the therapist and the Collective may need to work together.

We will not assume that a complaint proves wrongdoing. We will also not assume that professional status, good intentions or a difference in perspective makes a person’s experience unimportant.

Possible outcomes

The right response will depend on what has happened. It may include:

Explanation or apology. An explanation, acknowledgement or genuine apology.

A conversation. A direct or supported conversation, where everyone freely agrees.

Support with therapy. Help to repair the therapeutic relationship or to move to another therapist.

Reviewing a practical decision. A review of an administrative decision, payment or refund.

Changes to practice. Additional supervision, support, training or changes to the way someone works.

Changes within SDTC. A change to an SDTC process, document or way of communicating.

Protective steps. Action to protect safety, confidentiality or continuity of care.

Limits on someone’s involvement. Limits being placed on a therapist’s work through SDTC, or their involvement with the Collective ending.

Sharing information where necessary. Information being shared with a training provider, professional body, insurer or another appropriate organisation where this is necessary.

These are possible responses rather than promised outcomes. Sometimes we may conclude that accounts differ, that there is not enough information to reach a firm conclusion, or that something was painful without being professionally wrong. We will explain our reasoning honestly.

Where an outcome affects another person’s confidential professional information, we may not be able to share every detail. We will still tell you as much as we responsibly can.

Confidentiality and records

Complaints are handled with care and shared only with people who need the information to understand the concern, respond fairly, protect someone from harm or meet a professional or legal responsibility. We cannot promise that everything you tell us will remain only between you and the person receiving your message, because the person complained about will normally need a fair opportunity to respond.

Information may also need to be shared with a supervisor, training provider, professional body, insurer, adviser, safeguarding service or lawful authority where there is a clear reason. We will limit what is shared and, wherever it is safe and reasonably possible, explain this to you.

SDTC will keep a proportionate organisational record of the concern, the information considered, the response and any agreed action.

Therapists remain responsible for their own clinical notes. Complaint information will be handled and retained in line with the SDTC Client Privacy Notice or Therapist and Applicant Privacy Notice, depending on who the information concerns.

If you want to take the concern elsewhere

You do not lose the right to approach another organisation because you have contacted SDTC, and you do not need our permission to do so. Depending on the concern, an outside route may include:

A professional body or register. You may contact the therapist’s professional body or registration organisation.

A training provider. Where the concern involves a trainee therapist, you may use the training provider’s or course’s complaints process.

The Information Commissioner’s Office. You may contact the ICO where the concern relates to personal information, privacy or data protection.

Another appropriate authority. This may include a safeguarding service, the police, a court or another organisation where the circumstances require it.

We can tell you which professional body or training provider is relevant and where to find its current complaints information. Outside organisations may have their own time limits, so it can be helpful to check these even though SDTC does not impose a rigid deadline.

SDTC does not operate a separate internal appeal stage. As a small Collective, the same people would otherwise be reconsidering their own response. We will therefore aim to make the first consideration careful and complete, and will explain any relevant outside route if you remain dissatisfied.

Urgent help

The complaints email is not monitored as an emergency or crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999. For urgent health or mental-health help, contact NHS 111, your GP or the appropriate local urgent service.

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